Twenty Greatest Singles of the CU Era: Amythyst Kiah, “Black Myself”

“Black Myself”

Amythyst Kiah

Written by Amythyst Kiah

2021

I know I shouldn’t, but I can’t help myself: When I’m driving alone in my car, I blast Amythyst Kiah’s “Black Myself” and sing along.

It’s a testament to how infectious and forceful Kiah’s anthem of empowerment is. I’m a lot of things as a human, but I’m not a queer black woman, so this song is in no way for me or about me. But goddamn, does it still get me fired up.

Truly, I can think of no better lyric to reflect the battle for the soul of country music than what Kiah has written here. I’m not interested in hearing another generation of aggrieved old white men sing about how traditional country music has been murdered or otherwise taken from them. No, I am far more moved by hearing Kiah snarl, “I pick the banjo up and they stare at me / ‘Cause I’m black myself.” Or hearing her declare, “Your precious God ain’t gonna bless me / ‘Cause I’m black myself,” with a complete awareness of how the blessings and grace of the evangelical movement come not with strings attached but with a noose.

Kiah has quickly emerged as one of the most riveting and important voices in the country space, and it’s because she demonstrates both an unimpeachable mastery of the genre’s forms and a refusal to apologize for taking up space in a genre that views people like her as interlopers. She minces not one word on “Black Myself,” and, on the solo version of the single, which followed a collaborative recording on the landmark Songs of Our Native Daughters album, she delivers those words like an unstoppable force of nature.

Additional Listening:

Alternate recordings

The slightly less urgent but still phenomenal rendition that opened the Our Native Daughters album, on which Kiah is joined by Rhiannon Giddens, Leyla McCalla, and Allison Russell.
“Black Myself (Remix),” by, of all people, Moby, who had previously invited Kiah to sing the memorable hook on a new version of his hit single, “Natural Blues.”

More essential Amythyst Kiah

In addition to being a powerful writer, Kiah’s also a tremendous interpreter, as her covers of “Love Will Tear Us Apart” and “In the Pines” demonstrate.
Her collaboration with S.G. Goodman, “Play God and Destroy The World,” will– spoiler alert– figure prominently on our 2024 best-of round-up.

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